Second Cup: Start a reading project

Set during the Napoleonic Wars, 'War and Peace' follows the lives of several Russian aristocratic families, including the Bezukhovs, the Rostovs, and the Bolkonskys. The novel spans from 1805 to 1820 and is known for its realistic detail and psychological analysis. It explores the impact of Napoleon's invasion of Russia on the characters and society, delving into themes of love, family, war, and personal growth. The novel includes historical events such as the Battle of Austerlitz, the Treaties of Tilsit, and the French invasion of Russia, intertwining historical and fictional elements[3][4][5].

This volume includes all of Shakespeare's comedies, histories, tragedies, and complete poems. The works are often categorized into comedies such as 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'Twelfth Night', histories like 'Henry IV' and 'Henry V', tragedies including 'Hamlet', 'Macbeth', and 'Romeo and Juliet', and his complete poems such as the 154 sonnets and other narrative poems like 'Venus and Adonis' and 'The Rape of Lucrece'. Different editions may include collaborative works and varying editorial notes.

This boxed set includes all six major novels by Jane Austen, each a classic in its own right. The novels explore themes of love, class, and social status in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The set features 'Sense and Sensibility', 'Pride and Prejudice', 'Mansfield Park', 'Emma', 'Northanger Abbey', and 'Persuasion', all of which are renowned for their insightful portrayal of the English landed gentry and the lives of women during that period.